Tammy’s Comments (group member since Feb 01, 2011)

Tammy’s comments from the Should have read classics group.

I saw a bookmark once that was a picture of a slice of bacon (cooked). Wish I had bought it!

It would be interesting to compare the likes v. dislikes of Faulkner with where the people come from. Like Marie, I'm from the South and have enjoyed him. I wonder if there's a correlation?

I've read 11 of the 20 books listed (19th & 20th centuries) and so far my favorite has to be One Hundred Years of Solitude -- I absolutely love Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Thanks for mentioning the PBS series. I've watched all the episodes so far and absolutely love it. It's very clever -- they've done a wonderful job of incorporating lots of bits & pieces from the original stories into a modern format.

Barbara, I think you are exactly right -- an old family did not cease being part of the "upper class" even if they lost their money, as long as they continued playing by the same rules as everyone else. Interestingly, it worked the other way as well -- a new family with money did not automatically enter the "upper class" just by virtue of their money. In fact, "new money" was often looked down on and the family could be seen as social climbers if they tried too hard to join the group.

One thing about the old family without money, though, is that they couldn't stay in the group indefinitely in that condition, simply because they couldn't maintain the lifestyle. So the younger generation would have to marry well (i.e., to someone with $$$) to maintain the family. Think of Rose from "Titanic." It severely cut down on the options available to the unmarried family members. Another great book by Wharton, The House of Mirth, shows this wonderfully.

I love bookmarks and buy some whenever I get a chance, especially on vacation -- I found that it's a great way to keep the fun memories alive afterwards. Seems like lots of places have them in gift shops now.

Hello all! I'm Tammy and I live in beautiful Tallahassee, Florida. I was previously a total book junkie, but I burned out a little over a year ago and am just now getting back to enjoying reading again. I love classic literature and am looking forward to reading some titles that I've missed.